Cannons Were Installed on The Roof of HSBC Building to Fend Off Bank of China Tower's Negative Energy

For the last thirty years, the Bank of China Tower has been an iconic landmark on Hong Kong’s skyline. Ieoh Ming Pei’s masterpiece has been featured in numerous American blockbusters, as well as in video games like SimCity, a franchise centered on city-building.

In fact, unlike the Bank of China Tower, few people outside of Hong Kong would recognize the headquarters of its main competitor, the HSBC Main Building. Yet, in the 1980s, when both skyscrapers were under construction, the HSBC Main Building was the city’s star attraction, while the Bank of China Tower was shrouded in controversy.

Since its founding in 1865, HSBC has always embraced the ancient Chinese tradition of Feng Shui. Conversely, Ieoh Ming Pei, the architect of the Bank of China Tower, did not consult Feng Shui masters.

Consequently, the tower's sharp edges and prism-like design, which resembles a meat cleaver, were believed to cast negative energy over neighboring buildings. This belief was so strong that some Feng Shui proponents claim HSBC installed "cannons"—which are actually window-washing cranes—on its roof to deflect the Bank of China Tower’s negative energy.

Interestingly, however, photos taken before the Bank of China Tower was even built show that these "cannons" were already in place.